


Recognition of Knowledge

by rei_c



Series: Knowledge 'Verse [15]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s04e01 Mayhem, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-25
Updated: 2008-09-25
Packaged: 2020-09-02 10:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20274121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rei_c/pseuds/rei_c
Summary: In the aftermath, everything changes.





	Recognition of Knowledge

JJ turns in her badge on the Tuesday after New York. Hotch looks at her with eyes that have sunk since the blast took his hearing and balance away; his desk looks so impersonal, all of his things packed away for a transfer to Kate's old job. 

"I can't change your mind, JJ?" he asks, leaning back in his chair. His fingers steeple and he stares at her. "You're a good agent, work well with the press, don't have a problem coordinating with regional offices. You're an asset to the team." Unspoken, she hears, '_There's enough upheaval as it is and stability would be good_.'

She smiles, shrugs with one shoulder. "I'm pregnant, Hotch." It isn't a direct answer but it's answer enough. 

Hotch returns her smile, shadows lurking in every corner. "Congratulations, Agent Jareau. Detective LaMontagne is a very lucky man." 

"Thank you," she says. Putting her badge and gun on his desk and turning away isn't as hard as she'd expected. 

\--

JJ closes Hotch's office door behind her, takes a deep breath. She scans the rest of her team, Garcia at Morgan's desk, Reid frowning at some file he's reading, Emily on the phone with her back to JJ. Rossi isn't there and as soon as she realises that, she sees movement out of the corner of her eyes. She turns, gives her missing teammate a nod, and looks back out at the bullpen. 

Reid checks his watch, closes the file and sets it on his desk, looks up. 

"When's your flight?" Rossi asks. He's no Gideon but JJ's always found a certain sense of comfort in that. Rossi never meant to take Gideon's place and he acknowledges that there's a hole in the middle of the team where Gideon should be, acknowledges it and makes sure everyone moves on. 

"Four hours," JJ replies. She adds, without hesitation, "My mother's going to clean out the apartment and put what we don't want into storage." 

Rossi nods and tilts his head at the team. They're all looking at her, standing up. Reid has his coat slung over one arm and his case in the other hand; Garcia's on the brink of tears. 

JJ takes a deep breath, walks over. No one says anything until Garcia throws her arms around JJ and says, "We're gonna miss you," into the curve of JJ's neck. 

When Garcia steps back, JJ looks at Morgan. "Don't be a stranger," he says. "Anytime you need anything." 

"And we expect invitations to the shower," Emily adds, giving JJ a hug. 

She's never liked goodbyes so JJ promises to keep in touch and heads for the door with little fanfare. She stops before she gets to the door, turns around and gives the office one last look. Emily waves and Morgan's holding up a crying Garcia. Hotch's right; stability is what the team needs right now. 

"Can I take you to the airport?" Reid asks, standing next to her. 

"It's out of your way," JJ says, trailing off when Reid shakes his head, gives her a little smile.

He pushes hair behind one ear, eyes sliding away from hers. "Hotch gave the team some time off while we're waiting for a new team leader," he says. "I'm flying down to New Orleans to visit friends. I assume we're on the same flight; there's only one going out tonight that would leave you enough time to come say goodbye." 

Friends in New Orleans, JJ hadn't known that. She asks, can't help the curiosity when Reid looks away with something she's sure has to be guilt. "We knew each other in school but lost contact, met up by accident during the case in the French Quarter," Reid says, his cheeks flushing. "When you met Detective LaMontagne, I think?" 

JJ smiles, turns to the door and links her arm with Reid's. "Let's go, then." 

She doesn't look back. The air is cool on her face and smells of something that has become foreign to her. 

\--

Reid rearranges their seats and the flight is spent in careful conversation, nothing about work or the last case, nothing about the future of their team or what JJ's going to do now. It's comfortable, friendly, a good way to pass the time without bringing up anything sensitive on either side. 

JJ's curious about Reid's friends, whoever he's meeting, but she's not a profiler and Reid's a genius. Every time she thinks she's being subtle, Reid changes the subject. The only time he says something is when he looks away, murmurs, "The detective will recognise the names. It isn't," and then stops. 

If anything, JJ's learned to listen to her instincts; Reid seems happy, almost as excited as he ever gets about something not related to work. If Will doesn't like these people, she won't judge them based on his say-so alone. She puts her hand over Reid's, waits until he looks at her to smile before asking him about the latest book he read. 

\--

Reid gets her bag from the carousel, picks up a battered case of his own and walks with JJ out of the claim and into a rush of warm air, cooled by the night but still humid. Will's waiting for her on the curb since he knows she has an escort; she sees him right away. He's standing next to an SUV, a gleaming monstrosity of a vehicle, and JJ feels her stomach clench. 

She looks away, sees an old classic car parked right in front, two men leaning against the trunk, sides pressed together. Lovers, she thinks, and then sees the edge of a tattoo twining out from under the taller man's t-shirt, down onto his forearm. 

"What's the matter?" Will asks once Reid's put JJ's bag down, stepped back to hover nervously. "Flight all right?" 

Will's accent flows and curves, settles her. She's come to love the sound of his voice, the way his words trip and fly so differently from hers, smooth in different places, sharp at others. She reaches up, touches his face, and says, "I. The car, I can't, I'm sorry." 

His brows furrow before they relax as he realises. "I'll get another one," he says, shrugging easy, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "No problem." 

She looks up, smiles, disentangles herself gently and asks, "You remember Dr. Reid?" bringing Reid closer to their circle of two. "He's on my -- he's on my old team. He's come to visit friends and kept me company on the flight." 

Will offers his hand, shakes Reid's firmly. "Good to see you again, doctor. Thanks." 

"No worries," Reid replies. His eyes flick to the right, quickly. "I was already coming down."

"Can we give you a ride somewhere?" Will asks. He squeezes JJ around the waist, adds, "Once we get another car." 

Reid licks his lips, says, "Um, no, thanks. My ride's here as well." Will raises an eyebrow and JJ peers around, trying to see whoever might be picking Reid up. She turns back to her former teammate and gives him a look. Reid shifts on his face, looks between Will and JJ for a moment, then says, "I'm, uh. I'm going with Sam and Dean." 

JJ frowns but Will freezes. She looks up at him, sees his face drained of colour. "Sam and Dean?" he asks. He sounds worried, maybe even cautiously scared. 

"Yo," someone says. JJ turns, sees that the two men leaning on the other car have moved closer. The taller one's keeping back but the shorter one bumps elbows with Reid. "Thought you were ignoring us, man." 

Reid laughs, the first laugh JJ has heard from him since New York, and figures that these two, they'll help. "Hard to ignore you," he quips back. "Dean, this is Jennifer Jareau, a former," Reid starts. 

Will interrupts, arm around JJ's waist holding tighter. His expression is pinched, closed off. "Thank you, Dr. Reid," Will says, quiet but polite as ever. "But are you sure _we_ can't give you a ride somewhere? Word is the Sheraton has a good deal on rooms this week." 

"Actually," the shorter one, Dean, JJ thinks, says before Reid can even open his mouth, "we were gonna see if Ms. Jareau wanted a ride. Seeing as how she balked looking at your SUV a minute ago and all." 

"Not necessary," Will replies. 

Silence falls over the five. JJ has no idea what's going on but there are some strange undercurrents floating around and Will's still looking at Dean, neither of them breaking the flow of whatever their eyes are saying. 

The taller man finally reaches out, touches Dean's shoulder. "We're sorry to have interrupted your reunion, detective," he says, as quiet as Will but without the touch of anxiety. There's something odd about his voice, something that has Dean stepping back and Reid's shoulders relaxing. The man turns to JJ, inclines his head. "If you'd like to contact Spencer while you're here, he'll be staying on Rue Toulouse. I'll make sure Detective LaMontagne has the contact details." He pauses there, his eyes filled with something JJ doesn't understand but seems to recognise at the base of her spine, and adds, "Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to New Orleans." 

"Thanks," she says, keeping it simple. 

Sam holds her gaze a moment longer, gives her a ghost of a smile, and tilts his head at Dean. "Ethan's waiting, Spencer. He's been a nightmare this week," Sam's saying as he walks away, Dean on one side and Reid on the other. 

JJ watches until they get in the car -- Dean behind the wheel, Sam next to him, Reid in the backseat -- and leave before she turns to Will. 

"What was that all about?" she asks. 

Will looks at her, studies her, and asks, "Y'all ever come across any vodou in your cases before?" 

JJ blinks.


End file.
